The surfaces of medical equipment and other device surfaces may become contaminated with infectious agents and may cause health-care-associated infections. For example, hospital floors may become contaminated with microorganisms from settling airborne bacteria, from spills, or by contact with shoes, wheels or other devices such as cellular phones, laptops, purses, and satchels. Surfaces of hospital beds, blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes, and X-Ray machines may be contaminated by hand or by other bodily contact. Disinfection of these surfaces is essential to ensure that infectious pathogens are not transmitted to health care patients. Disinfectants may be used to effectively eliminate or reduce the possibility of these health-care-associated infections caused by contamination of medical equipment. Therefore, the surfaces of medical equipment and objects must be wiped with disinfectants to prevent health-care-associated infections in patients and other health care professionals. But these surfaces can become re-contaminated subsequent to disinfection through contact with other contaminated objects.
Cellular phones are often used in hospitals by healthcare professionals, patients and visitors. The surfaces of cellular phones are in frequent contact with the face, mouth, ears and hands of the cellular telephone user and likely carry a variety of bacteria and other infectious agents. Unlike hands which are easily sterilized using disinfectants, cellular phones are rarely cleaned and therefore may easily cause contamination or recontamination of the surfaces of medical and other equipment.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a drawing of a cellular telephone 1. Cellular telephone 1 includes a touchpad 2. The touchpad 2 of cellular telephone 1 is frequently “touched” with the hands or fingers of the cellular telephone user. The touchpad 2 is also in frequent contact with the face and ears of the user of cellular telephone 1 and may become contaminated with infectious agents.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is another drawing of the cellular telephone 1 of FIG. 1 and includes touchpad 2 and bottom surface 3. Bottom surface 3 of cellular telephone 1 is also frequently held with the hands of the user of the telephone and may also become contaminated with infectious agents. When cellular telephone 1 comes in contact with the surfaces of medical equipment, the medical equipment may become contaminated with the infectious agents from the surfaces of the cellular telephone. Also, touchpad 2, bottom surface 3, and other surfaces of cellular telephone 1 may not be smooth and may have gaps or indentations and therefore may be difficult to remove the infectious agents by wiping of the cellular telephone 1 with a disinfectant. Moreover, using a liquid disinfectant on the surfaces of cellular telephone 1 may damage the telephone. The surfaces of cellular phones are not the only likely sources of contamination, surfaces of laptop computers, tablet computers, purses, satchels, briefcases and other devices may also be contaminated with infectious agents and may cause subsequent contamination of the surfaces of medical equipment. Healthcare professionals are aware that cellular telephones and other devices that are contaminated with infectious agents are likely to cause health-care-associated infections.
FIG. 3 (Prior Art) is a drawing showing a plastic bag 5. Plastic bag 5 has a smooth nonporous surface and includes the cellular telephone 1 of FIG. 1 and a briefcase 6. By placing devices such as cellular telephones, laptop computers, tablet computers, purses and briefcases into plastic bag 5, the devices will not be in contact with the surfaces of medical equipment. Moreover, if the surface of plastic bag 5 is disinfected, contamination caused by contact between the plastic bag 5 and the surfaces of medical equipment is less likely. There are shortcomings to this method of using a plastic bag to prevent health-care-associated infections. The bag may be difficult to handle. For example, it may be necessary to use a cellular telephone in a medical environment such as an operating room. A health care professional would have to use both hands to open the plastic bag and would have to hold the bag in one hand while locating the cellular telephone with the other. Contamination may still occur when using a plastic bag to carry devices into a disinfected area. Even though the surface of plastic bag 5 may be disinfected, the surfaces of the cellular phone or other device within plastic bag 5 may be contaminated with infectious agents. When the medical professional reaches into the bag to use one of the devices, his hands may come into contact with the contaminated surfaces of the devices inside. Anything that is subsequently touched by the medical professional may become contaminated. A better apparatus and method for prevention of contamination of surfaces, prevention of healthcare-associated-infections, and facilitation of sanitation, is desired.
The dangers of health-care-associated infections are well known in the healthcare industry and guidelines have been published to reduce the occurrence of these infections. One such guideline, “Recommended Practices for Prevention of Transmissible Infections in Perioperative Practice Setting,” was published in the AORN Standards, Recommended Practices, and Guidelines, 2007 Edition. One recommended practice from this source is that hand hygiene should be performed any time there is a possibility that there has been contact with blood or other potentially infections materials, and any time when hands may have been soiled or any time the practitioner believes his or her hands may have been soiled.
Another guideline is that protective barriers must be made available to reduce the risk of exposure to potentially infectious material and that personal protective equipment is considered appropriate only if it prevents blood or other potentially infectious material from an employee's contaminated work clothes, undergarments, skin, eyes, mouth, or other mucous membranes under normal conditions of use and for the duration of time for which the protective equipment will be used. Moreover, the guidelines further state that additional protective attire (e.g., liquid-resistant aprons, gowns, shoe covers) should be worn to reduce the risk of exposure to blood, body fluids, or other liquids that may contain potentially infectious agents. There is evidence that supports the need for circulating personnel to wear protective equipment appropriate to the tasks being performed. Fluid-resistant shoe covers are considered part of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and must be worn when it can be reasonably anticipated that splashes or spills may occur. Foot attire has no proven significance in reducing the incidence of surgical site wound infections; the primary reason for its use is to facilitate sanitation. If shoe covers are worn, they should be changed whenever they become torn, wet, or soiled, and they should be removed and discarded in a designated container before leaving the surgical area.
The AORN Standards also include guidelines for both low-level and high-level disinfection of items that will enter a surgical suite. This is because patients should be provided a safe, clean environment. A clean surgical environment will reduce the number of microbial flora present. Cleaning and decontamination are the initial and most critical steps in breaking the chain of disease transmission. Cleaning and decontamination of items, equipment, and surfaces before and between procedures will reduce or eliminate microbes such as Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) and Vancomycin-Resistant Enterococcus (VRE) which are known to remain viable on the surfaces of operating room equipment and other items for seven days or longer. The cleaning involves all items taken into the operating room setting. Equipment from areas outside the operating room should be damp dusted before being brought into the operating room. Dust and lint are deposited on horizontal surfaces. Proper cleaning of these surfaces helps reduce airborne contaminants that may travel on that dust and lint. Some of the cleaning guidelines include low-level disinfection of items that only come into contact with the intact skin. These are deemed noncritical items and could include handbags, smart phones, laptop or tablet computers, linens, blood pressure cuffs, etc. These items and other equipment contaminated with blood, body fluids, secretions, or excretions should be cleaned and disinfected after each use, according to the healthcare organization's written policy. The use of dedicated patient equipment may be indicated in some situations (e.g., anesthesia, post-anesthesia care units). Routine cleaning of environmental surfaces and items (e.g., laptops, tablet computers, handbags, briefcases, cell and smart-phones) is adequate for inactivation of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA), Vancomysin Intermediate Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and VRE.
Indirect transmission via inanimate surfaces should be prohibited in the operating room and strict adherence to standard precautions minimizes the risk of cross contamination among health care workers, patients, and their environment.